Ball-bearing hinge.



PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

B. F. FOSS.

BALL BEARING HINGE.

APPLIOATION nun MAR.2,1905.

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UNITE STATES BENJAMIN F. FOSS, OF FAIRFIELD, MAINE.

BALL-BEARING HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed March 2, 1905. Serial No. 248,082.

To all 2071/0711, 51; may concern:

Be it known thatI, BENJAMIN F. Foss, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Fairfield, Somerset county, State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ball-Bearing Hinges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a ball-bearing hinge; and the object of theinvention is to construct such a hinge in which the ball-bearings may be adjusted vertically.

In applying ball-bearing hinges to doors it often happens that they are not secured in position with sufficient accuracy, so that. one or the other does not come to a bearing, and consequently does not operate properly. It is a matter of very delicate adjustment applying ball-bearing hinges to a door so that each of the two or three hinges will have a perfect bearing; and the object of my invention is to construct such a ball-bearing hinge which will be capable of vertical adjustment so far as the ball-bearings are concerned. IVith this end in View I construct the upper and lower ball-cups with extensions or spindles which fit in the knuckles of the two parts of the hinge, and in the lower knuckle is an adjusting-screw by which the lower cups may be raised and lowered to bring the bearing into operation.

I illustrate my invention by means of the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation with a portion in section on the line y y of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a section on the line am; at Fig. 1.

a and b are the leaves of the two parts of the hinge, and A and B are the upper and lower knuckles of the hinge, respectively. Each of these knuckles is bored or recessed out to receive the two ball-bearing cups. The lower cup G is composed of the cup proper, 0, having the usual ball-race containing the balls 6, and it is provided with a downwardly-extending spindle c, fitting within a suitable recess in the lower knuckle B. The upper ball-cup D has a similar cup proper, cl, and an upwardly-extending spindle (Z, fitting a suitable recess in the upper knuckle. The two cups are held together by means of a screw 9, which passesdown through the upper cup and enters the lower cup. An annular flange 0 on the upper end of the lower cup fits in a shallow annular recess in the upper cup and incloses the balls in a tight casing from which dust and dirt are excluded.

As here shown, the adjacent edges of the knuckles overlap each other where they surround the ball-cups, thus forming a double protection of the balls against the entrance of dust or dirt.

For the purpose of adjusting the bearing vertically to give it a proper hearing I provide a screwf, which passes through the lower end of the lower knuckle B and impinges against the lower end of the spindle 0. By means of this screw the ball-bearing and the upper member of the hinge may be raised or lowered for the purpose of adjustment.

I claim- 1. In a ball-bearing hinge, the combination of a lower ball-cup having a downwardly-extending spindle, an upper ball-cup having an upwardly-extending spindle, balls held between said cups, a screw extending through said upper ball-cup and into the lower cup for fastening the two cups together, two hingeknuckles having central recesses for containing said ball-cups, the adjacent edges of said knuckles overlapping to inclose said cups and an adjusting-screw for raising and lowering the lower ball-cup.

2. In a ball-bearing hinge, the combination of a lower ball-cup having a downwardly-extending spindle, an upper ball-cup having an upwardly-extending spindle, balls held between said cups, means for holding said cups together, two hinge-knuckles having central recesses for containing said ball-cups and an adjusting-screw for raising and lowering said lower cup.

Signed at Fairfield this 27th day of February, 1905.

BENJAMIN F. FOSS. Witnesses:

GEO. Gr. VVEEKs, .EVA PENNEY. 

